I recently had an old solar attic fan replaced, and the installers left me with a 14-year-old solar panel. It has a small box on the back with a black and red wire. I'm looking to reuse this panel to charge a small power bank. What materials do I need to buy, and how should I splice the wires to make this work?
2 Answers
You can connect the solar panel to an 8mm barrel connector that fits the DC input of your power bank. Just make sure to double-check the polarity of the connector—most have a positive center, but that’s not always the case. Also, keep in mind that the panel will be outside all day, so it should handle the weather fine.
Before you start, it might be helpful to check the voltage of the panel using a multimeter if you can. From what I see, if it has 36 cells, it should produce around 20 volts nominal under ideal conditions. By the way, when you say 'small power bank,' are you referring to a USB bank or a larger power station? That’ll help clarify what you’ll need.